Hakuouki - Home
by A-chan-senpai
Summary: Old Chizuru dies and young Chizuru gets to be with the Shinsengumi again.
1. Chapter 1

**Goodbye**

It had been more than 50 years since Hijikata-san had left her all alone in this world and now she as lay dying on her bed she spoke to the girl sitting beside her weeping quietly.

"Yukine" she rasped "I have a gift for you, one final thing before I leave you."

"What is it Baba-sama?" Yukine whispered

"Go to the draw in my desk, child, and bring me the book that resides there." The girl did as Chizuru bid her and returned to her seat,

"What is this Baba-sama?"

"These, my child, are the tales of the Shinsengumi, as I knew them. Brave, strong, and loyal to the end."

"But, Baba-sama, the Shinsengumi were with the Bakufu in the civil war weren't they? You couldn't have known them!" Chizuru laughed softly

"Don't be so sure, child. I knew those men better than anyone. In fact, I helped them as they fought against the Imperial army, you will see, my story intertwined through theirs in that book." She paused and continued "I want you to promise me something Yukine." The girl looked up from the book,

"What do you want me to do Baba-sama?"

"Please, read our story and pass it on to your children, tell them of the brave men of the Shinsengumi who fought and died for what they believed was right, and tell them about me, the girl who followed them and helped them for five of the best years of her life…" she coughed and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth, Yukine jumped forward

"Baba-sama!" Chizuru turned her head and with her weakened but fierce gaze repeated her request,

"Promise me Yukine, please." Tears spilt down Yukine's face but still she nodded,

"I promise, Baba-sama, I promise I will." she whispered brokenly, Chizuru smiled

"Thank you.." she whispered and with one final breath she slipped away into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Awakening**

There was light, she could see it through her eyelids, curious, she opened her eyes and blinked in the warm sunlight, she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as she gazed around in wonder, she was back in the Kyoto headquarters of the Shinsengumi, the place where the happiest years of her life had begun.

Sitting up she heard a voice calling her name, turning she saw Heisuke running towards her laughing and waving.

"Chizuru, Chizuru!" he stopped when he reached her side, "You finally made it!" he laughed "I swear Chizuru, you haven't aged a day!" Chizuru frowned, confused at this statement, she was clearly an old woman wasn't she? Heisuke chuckled and pointed at her body, she looked down and gasped in shock. Her body was no older than when when she had been with the shinsengumi. She was dressed in a violet kimono tied with a sky blue obi.

"But...how?" she whispered, Heisuke looked thoughtful,

"We don't really know why but we seem to resort back to the age we were when we were most happy, or, that's Hijikata-san's theory anyway." Chizuru's head snapped up,

"Toshizo's here?"

"Of course he is, silly! Everyone is here, they're all waiting for you! Come on!" he grasped her hand and began pulling her towards the steps into the building. They rounded the corner and suddenly, there they were, every single one of them, waiting for her she stopped short staring at them. Harada with his kind welcoming smile, Nagakura with his roguish grin, Okita with his devil may care attitude, Sanan with his cool aloofness, Saito smiling his shy smile that you were lucky to ever see more than once a month and Kondo with his welcoming fatherly affection.

All of this she took in before her eyes landed on the one face she wanted to see more than any other, Hijikata was smiling at her with the warm smile full of love and affection he reserved only for her. Before she knew it she was running again, as if she had wings on her feet, up the steps and into his arms feeling the familiar warmth and safety she had felt when she was alive. Hijikata held her tightly against him before leaning down to kiss her.

"Geez, get a room Hijikata-san!" Okita called laughingly, Hijikata broke off the kiss and looked down at her smiling gently, she smiled back, joy rippling through her as he spoke the words she had desperately wanted to hear for all the years they had been apart:

"Welcome home, Chizuru."


End file.
